Device for delivering mail and the like to the upper floors of buildings.



R. OEHMEN. A 'DEVICE FOB DELIVER-ING MAIL AND THE LIKE T0 THE UPPERFLOORS 0F BUILDINGS. APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 14, 1909. RENBWEDNovib-,1910.

988,28 1 Patented Mar. 28, 191.1.

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R. QEHMEN. DEVICE POR DBLIVERING MAIL AND TEE LIKE T0 THE UPPER FLOORS0F BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1909. RENBWBD 11017.25, 1910. 988,281Patented Mar.\28,1911.

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UNITED STATES PATEN OFICE.

RUDOLF OEI-IMEN, OF MNSTER, GERMANY.

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING MAIL AND THE LIKE TAO THE UPPER FLOORS OFBUILDINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application iled J'uly 14, 1909, Serial No. 507,574. Renewed November25, 1910. Serial No. 594,214.

To all whom Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLF OEHMEN, a subject of the German Emperor, andresident of Hammer-strasse 148, Mnster i. IV., Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Delivering Mail andthe Like to the Upper Floors of a Building, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a device on closed houses for receiving andtransporting victuals, letters etc., which makes it unnecessary that therespective messenger, postman, errand boy, and so on, enter the house,and by which the victuals, letters, and so on, are held in safe keeping.

The device consists in the main in a receptacle for receiving victuals,letters, and so on, which is accessible from the outside of the houseand can be emptied in the inside of the house. In the case of houses ofseveral stories it is preferable to so arrange the device that thereceptacle can be drawn up to the respective stories.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several forms of constructions ofmy invention.

Figure 1 shows in a section the whole arrangement on a house of severalstories. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement on an enlarged scale in a verticalsection. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line I-I of Fig. 2. Fig. 4a horizontal section on the line II-II of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 a verticalsection on the line III-III of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows in a side-view, andpartly in vertical section, a modified form of construction of thedevice for drawing up the receptacle. Fig. 7 shows likewise in avertical section the whole arrangement, in which however the receptacleis arranged on the outside of the wall of the house.

In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1-5 there is arrangedin the wall 1 forming the side wall of the entrance-hall, on the outsideof the door 6 of the house, a casing 2. In this casing there arearranged a number of boxes 3 sliding in guides 4 and corresponding withthe number of tenants of the house. Each one of these boxes 3 has in theupper part a receptacle for letters and the like, while the lower partof each box 3 is suited for receiving victuals (breakfast, milk etc.).The part serving to receive letters is preferably made of wire-nettingand the borders lined with metal-rails. In its normal position thereceptacle for letters and so on is in front of a number of slotscorresponding with the number of boxes, through which slot the lettersetc. are thrown in (Figs. 1 and 3), while the part for receivingvictuals is in front of a door 7 in the wall of the house. By this doorthe receptacles are accessible and through the same the breakfast and soon is put into the boxes by the messengers. Of course for every box aseparate door may be provided.

On the upper side of each box 3 is provided a loop 8 by which the box 3is fastened to a cord 9, or the like, which is fastened to a cord-pulley10 arranged at a suitable height in the casing 2. For each box 3 thereis, of course, arranged in the respec tive story a similar cord-pulley10. The

loop 8 is fastened to each of the boxes 3 in a v manner that the cord 9,when the box is in its normal position, does not hang down vertically,but so that the same is at its lower end nearer to the front wall of thecasing 2 than at its upper end where it leaves the pulley 10. By thisarrangement the box 3 is, on being drawn up, pressed against the hindwall of the guiding-casing 2, whereby there is attained a reliableguiding of the box. Each one of the receptacles 3 rests in its normalposition on a supporting-plate 11 fastened on a turnable axle 12.

The supporting-plate 11 forms a two armed lever, to one arm of which isfastened a pin 13 projecting on the outside of the house through thewall 1, by which pin the plate 11 can be moved. By a spiral spring 14fastened on the axle 12 the supportingplate 11 is ordinarily retained inits position.

If now any object has been placed or thrown by the messenger into thebox 3, the messenger presses the operating pin 13 inward, by which thesupporting-plate 11 is drawn back from below the box 3. Hereby the box 3sinks by its own weight to the extent shown in Figs. 2 and 3 down uponthe bottom of the casing 2. By this movement of the box asignaling-device is operated in the respective story and indicates thata letter or the like has been thrown into the box.

The signaling-device is actuated in the following manner: On the axle 15of the cord-pulley 10 is fastened a smaller cordpulley 16; the cord 17connected to the same is guided over a pulley 18 in the respectivestory, which is fastened t-o a lever 19 pivotally ournaled on the wall.The end of the cord 17 is fastened on the pivot 2O of the lever 19 in asuitable manner. To the pulley 18 is moreover connected a cord 21 -whichWorks a bell Q2 or some other signaling-device. 1f now the box 3 sinksin consequence ot the supporting-plate 11 being drawn away from underit, the double pulley 10, 16 is rotated and hereby the lever 19 is movedinto the position indicated in Fig. by dott-cd lines. ln this Way thebell 22 is caused to ring by means of the cord 21. 1n order to draw thebox up, the cord 17 is Wound ol from the pulley 16 until the box 3 is infront of the opening 23 in the Wall, which is closed by a door 24 (F ig.1). Through a door 25 in the back-Wall oit the box 3 'the box can thenbe emptied.

instead of drawing up the box by hand there might, of course, beprovided an automatic drawing-device. Such a device is illustrated inFig. 6. The oord 17 runs over a guide-pulley 2G and carries at its end acorrespondingly heavy Weight Q7.

rhe cord 17 is fitted With a knob 2S by means ot' which the Weight 27can be suspended in a fork provided on the lower end oit a double-armedpivoted lever Q9 so thatl the stretch of the cord 17 between the knob 2Sand the pulley QG, can be slackened. One end of the cord 21 is free andadapted to be clamped by suitable means to the horizontal stretch of thecord 17. A knob 30 is provided on the cord 21 which knob is adapted toengage a fork on the upper end et the lever 29. Vhen the box 3 sinks inconsequence of the supporting plate 11 being Withdrawn from under thesaine, the cord 21 is actuated, whereby the lever 29 is turned by theknob 30 about its pivot. This causes the fork on the lower end of thelever to release the knob 2S whereupon the Weight 27, having lost itssupport, descends and pulls up the box 3. The clamping device on thecord 21 must be adapted to slip oit the cord 17 when the Weight 27descends. `When the box 3 has been moved down again it rests on thesupporting-plate 11.

In the form of construction illustrated in Fig. 7 the receptacles 3 arewith their guiding-eases 2 arranged on the outside Wall 11 of the house.The arrangement and the Working of the same differs however in otherrespects not from that described above.

lVhat 1 claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a device of the kind described, in combination a number ofreceptacles for victuals, letters, etc., accessible from the out side ofthe house and corresponding in number to the number of tenants, asupporting device for each one ot the said receptacles for securing thelatter in their. normal position, means for moving' the saidsupportingdevices out of their position, a signaling device adapted tobe actuated by the releasing of the said supporting-devices, and meansfor drawing up each one of the said receptacles into the respect-ivestory, substantially as set forth.

1n testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 28th day of lune 1909, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

RUDOLF @El-IME` [Ls] Wltnesses OTTO KNIG, KARL MLLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of aten'ts, Washington, D. C.

